Reflective practice and health sciences librarians: engagement, benefits, and barriers.

Jolene M Miller

doi:10.5195/jmla.2020.777

Abstract

ObjectiveReflective practice is common in nursing and other professions. In the published literature, there is very little about librarians’ use of reflective practice and no studies of health librarians’ use of reflective practice. This study examined the use of reflective practice among health sciences librarians, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers to use.MethodsThis cross-sectional study replicated the 2014 study by Greenall and Sen, using a version of their questionnaire. The research population in this study was health sciences librarians who were members of the MEDLIB-L email discussion list, Medical Library Association (MLA) chapter email discussion lists, and/or MLA section email discussion lists.ResultsThere were 106 librarians who completed the questionnaire, ranging from those new to the profession through midcareer to longtime librarians. While a high percentage of respondents considered themselves to be reflective practitioners (77%), a larger percentage (87%) reported that they consciously spent time reflecting. Respondents selected a wide variety of benefits of reflective practice, while barriers tended to center on lack of time, knowledge, skills, or experience.ConclusionThe diversity of benefits that respondents selected suggests that reflective practice can play an important positive role in librarians’ professional development. Reported barriers to reflective practice suggest that there is a need for educational opportunities to develop skills.

Highlights

For most people, reflection is a daily process
Specific research questions of this study include: 1. Do medical/health sciences librarians engage in reflective practice and/or reflective writing?
Of the 24 respondents who did not identify as reflective practitioners, 10 reported spending time reflecting on their professional practice

Summary

Introduction

We think back on a situation, actions taken or not taken, words said or not said, reactions, and outcomes. This may be triggered by external events (such as a patron encounter) or internal events (feeling uneasy after a meeting). While informal reflection is commonplace, it does not necessarily result in changes in thinking or behavior that translate into improved performance-related outcomes. This has led practitioners and researchers in a variety of fields to explore reflection with the explicit purpose of improving performance: reflective practice

Methods

Results

Conclusion